OPTIMISTIC CANDIDATE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19143, 8 October 1925, Page 13

OPTIMISTIC CANDIDATE.

THE TAURANGA GONTEST. NATIONAL PARTY'S "VIRTUES." PANACEA FOR ALL EVILS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] TE AROHA, Wednesday. Mr. R. Coulter, who/is contesting the Tauranga seat in the interests of the National Party, opened his campaign last evening. He was contesting the seat, he said, bocause he believed that the Tauranga electorate 'should be represented in j Parliament by a keen "live" man, who j would advocate their cause and demand i for the people fair treatment from the j Government. He was standing as the j National candidate supported by the Country Party. The National Party j stood for progressive humanitarian legislation and he was opposed to the Reform Party because it was dominated by big financial institutions, trusts, and combines, which had been bleeding the country for years. He was convinced that if the National Party, or as it had been called previously the Liberal-Labour Party, got into power it would not be long before they would get back the good old days of 20 years age. He believed that the National Party would legislate in the interests of the whole of the people, not any particular class or section, and would fight those things which tended to prevent the people from getting a fair deal. * Referring to the Borough of Te Aroha Mr. Coulter said that most of them realised that for many years Te Aroha had been sadly neglected. This, he believed, was due to the lack of a "keen representative in Parliament. He knew the needs of the town and could fittingly represent them in Parliament. He stood for sane government without extremes of any kind. He believed that one extreme was as dangerous as another. With regard to a State bank, he thought such a bank should be established. Not only the farmer, but also the worker, had suffered of late, and there was only one solution of their troubles. They knew what had happened with the State Fire Office. Prior .to its establishment, owing to the heavy premiums, large sums of money were going out of New Zealand. When the State office came into existence premiums were ••educed by 33 1-3 per cent., to be followed by a bonus of 15 and 10 per cent. The State office bad done wonderful business and other offices continued to pay handsomely. Was it not reasonable to suppose that the same thing would happen if they had a State bank ? A natural question was :—What about' the fusion issue ? As far as he was concerned he would regard favourably a fusion of the progressive elements in the House, but a fusion of two parties dominated by a few Tories would not make for progress. If the fusion of the progressive element could be brought about he would be prepared to support it. He advocated agricultural banks and criticised the remissness -of the Government with regard to the housing problem. Speaking of reading, he said reading in this district was scandalous and the Government should concentrate on all the chief provincial roads and all main roads. He also emphasised what he considered the need for reform in the Legislative Council. T A HOT QUESTION TIME. NATIONALIST AT PATEA. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] HA"WERA, "Wednesday. Mr. J. R. Corrigan, Nationalist candidate for Patea, opened his campaign last evening before a crowded audience, and received a' good hearing till question time, when some hot words were exchanged. A motion favouring the formation of a National Government was carried, while an amendment, " urging all decent men and women to vote the National Party out of existence," was lost. CLOSING OF THE ROLLS. ONE WEEK REMAINING. The announcement that the general election will take place on Wednesday, November 4, has been welcomed generally, and more especially by Candidates and those working in their interests. Just four weeks remain for the prosecution of the campaign, and some city candidates have not yet announced their opening address. Many aspirants for country seats, however, who have a large area to cover, have already held more than one meeting. The day of issue of the writs has been fixed as next .Thursday. The supplementary rolls will close on the same day as the issue *of the writs. Electors who are still not yet on the roll would 'herefore be well advised to send in their applications within the next few days. Once the writs have been • issued, no more additions can possibly be made to the rolls. " Facilities have been arranged by the Electoral Department for the recording of seamen's votes. Any seaman can vote before a collector of customs on presentation of his elector's right, at any time after. the day of issue of the writ and before the close of the poll on election day.